Flex appeal in only 15 minutes.
No matter what time of year it is, strong arms are always in season. All-around upper-body strength looks awesome and comes with oh so many perks. To get there, you need to spend a little time working all the arm muscles (not just the biceps). Clean N Jerk Landmine Attachment
It's all too easy to neglect the triceps, which are a minor muscle group on the back of the arms. These small but mighty muscles are key to overall fitness. "The triceps are a super, super important muscle group," says Jacqueline Kasen, CPT. "It stabilizes your your arms and your shoulders. It also helps increase range of motion. So if you're strong there, triceps also help support chest, back, and shoulders."
Meet the experts: Holly Roser, CPT, is based in New York City and San Francisco, where she teaches her signature H Method. Jacqueline Kasen, CPT, is a Miami-based coach and master trainer and senior director of group fitness at Anatomy. Tatiana Firpo, CPT, is a self-defense coach and training director at Fit Hit in New York City.
What are the triceps muscles?
Your triceps, which run along the backs of your upper arms, actually consist of three muscles—the long head, medial head, and lateral head—hence "tri." Together, these muscles help you extend your elbows and straighten your arms—and assist in chest-dominant exercises, like those infamous yogi pushups. There are different exercises that emphasize different parts of your triceps, so it's important to incorporate a variety of triceps exercises into your workout routine in order to build well-rounded strength.
If you want to sculpt all 360 degrees of your upper arms (or finally nail that chaturanga in your next yoga class), it's time to add a tricep workout into your routine and give this muscle group some much-deserved attention. It's about shoring up strength and stamina in your arms and sculpt. And you can add visible definition in the process, too. Here's how:
Ready to feel the backs of those arms burn? The moves listed here make for a fast and effective tricep workout.
Time: 15 minutes | Equipment: mat, dumbbells | Good for: triceps
Instructions: Choose one triceps exercise from each group below:
Complete three sets of the indicated number of reps for each move. Once you've completed all sets of one move, continue to the next, in ABC order, resting as needed. Alternatively, incorporate these triceps exercises into an upper-body workout routine.
Why it rocks: Your super stable position in this move allows you to challenge your triceps with heavier weights than in many others while engaging nearby muscle groups.
Why it rocks: This move targets your chest and triceps while promoting unilateral upper body strength, says Hamlin. It also minimizes movement depth which can be especially great for anyone with shoulder issues, he adds.
Why it rocks: Working one side at a time helps you avoid strength imbalances. This one also challenges your upper back, too. Score!
Pro tip: Elbows should form 45-degree angles with sides throughout movement.
Why it rocks: This quintessential chest move really works your entire body, and it's oh-so satisfying to nail.
Pro tip: Elbows should point out at 45 degrees away from ribs during pushup.
Why it rocks: Compared to the standard pushup, the close-grip pushup places greater emphasis on your triceps, hitting all three heads hard.
Why it rocks: Hand-release pushups work all of your major muscles (triceps included, of course) and can help you boost your pushup range of motion, since they force you to practice powering up off the floor.
Pro tip: Your elbows should point 45 degrees away from sides.
Why it rocks: No equipment required for this advanced pushup variation. It gives your triceps a hard-burning, laser-like focus and simultaneously works the core.
Why it rocks: “This very complex exercise not only strengthens your whole body but also improves your coordination,” Simone says.
Pro tip: “Do not rush through this one,” Simone cautions. “Break it down to one step at a time.”
Why it rocks: Love ‘em or hate ‘em, there’s no denying the muscle-activating power behind pushups. Switch things up with this slightly inverted variation.
Why it rocks: This move needs more stabilization to execute than a tricep dip or kick back because it requires you to lay down holding the weights overhead, giving your core some work, too, according to Fernandez.
Why it rocks: Bilateral (a.k.a. both-sided) kickbacks are challenging and activate your core while targeting the medial and laterals heads of your triceps.
Why it rocks: This kickback variation gives your triceps more rest between reps, making it more beginner-friendly or a good way to work with heavier weight.
Why it rocks: This variation hits the long head of your triceps hard while simultaneously working your core as long as you keep your spine straight and ribs from flaring forward.
Why it rocks: Just when you thought you've seen them all, enter triceps circles. This mobility and strength challenge will torch triceps and stretch shoulders through a full range of motion.
Jennifer Nied is the fitness editor at Women’s Health and has more than 10 years of experience in health and wellness journalism. She’s always out exploring—sweat-testing workouts and gear, hiking, snowboarding, running, and more—with her husband, daughter, and dog.
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